Mourning Oks Deal Worth $105 Million
Alonzo Mourning and the Miami Heat agreed on a seven-year deal reportedly worth $105 million, making the center the first player in professional sports to receive a $100 million deal.
Miami, which failed in its effort to lure guard Gary Payton from Seattle, reached agreement with free-agent forward Juwan Howard on a similar deal Saturday.
Washington attempted to offer Howard a seven-year contract worth $94.5 million to stay with the Bullets, according to general manager Wes Unseld. But agent David Falk told Unseld that he was too late, that Howard had committed to a deal with Miami that sources say will pay the all-star more than $98 million for seven years.
O’Neal just chillin’
Olympians with business deals on their minds, the Dream Team’s free agents keep whipping out cellular phones for hushed conversations with their agents.
Except one.
“Shaq really isn’t one of the guys,” says Penny Hardaway. “He’s always got his headphones on. Really. The rest of the guys are always on the phone.”
Shaquille O’Neal says he’s “chilling,” steering clear of negotiations - and wants to return to Orlando. He has been calling the Magic his “first option” for weeks but is doing it with more feeling now.
“Because I played there first,” he said Sunday. “Got a big 50,000-square foot house there. Own a couple buildings, couple restaurants there.”
People keep suggesting he likes Los Angeles. O’Neal keeps asking them where they got that.
“How’d you come to that conclusion?” he asked a reporter.
Movies? Records?
“Did my movies in Florida,” O’Neal said. “Universal Studios. … I was told it doesn’t matter where I’m at. If people want to offer me movie deals, I mean, I can get movie deals wherever. You guys have to realize that I don’t do movies during the season.
“Movies and rap music are summer jobs to me.”
Is this real or a negotiating posture?
“Do I need a posture?” asked O’Neal. “No. OK. If I don’t need it, then I wouldn’t take advantage of it. Me, I’m the type of guy, if I’m going to do something, I’m going to do it. I have my family in Orlando. The game’s been going pretty good. Orlando is the first option.”
Hendrickson gets double-double
Allen Iverson scored 22 of his 29 points in the second half and fellow rookie Mark Hendrickson recorded a double-double as Philadelphia beat Toronto 96-87 in the Doral Arrowwood Summer League at White Plains, N.Y.
Aaron Williams added 22 points and Hendrickson, a 6-9 forward and the 76ers’ second-round pick out of Washington State, had 10 points and 12 rebounds as Philadelphia improved to 1-1.
Philadelphia’s Ryan Minor, selected one pick after Hendrickson, sprained his right ankle after scoring five points in the first quarter. Minor is scheduled to join the Baltimore Orioles’ Gulf Coast League team later this summer.
Knicks confirm deals
The Knicks formally announced the acquisition of three players - Larry Johnson, Allan Houston and Chris Childs.
“We hit the jackpot,” Knicks genreal manager Ernie Grunfeld said, beaming. “This is a significant day in the history of this franchise.”
To make room under the salary cap for the three new players, the Knicks renounced their rights to Derek Harper, J.R. Reid, Gary Grant, Willie Anderson, Eric Anderson, Anthony Tucker and Ron Grandison.
Houston and Childs signs as free agents. Johnson was acquired from Charlotte for Anthony Mason and Brad Lohaus.
Olajuwon renegotiates
Houston Rockets center Hakeem Olajuwon has agreed in principle to a five-year contract worth between $55 million and $60 million, the Houston Chronicle reported.
The new contract, which would become effective immediately, will be announced this week and would likely keep Olajuwon in a Rockets uniform for the rest of his playing career.
Though exact terms were not known, the first year’s salary would be about $8 million with a league-maximum 20 percent escalation each season.
The 33-year-old superstar, now in training for the Olympics, had just finished the first year of a four-year deal worth $26.4 million, a contract that gave him the opportunity to become a free agent after the 1996-97 season.
Robertson jailed
Former San Antonio Spurs guard Alvin Robertson was jailed Sunday after a woman told police that he broke into her San Antonio apartment, choked her and bit her on the face.
Robertson was arrested Saturday night on charges of assault and criminal trespassing. Bond was set at a combined $10,800, San Antonio police spokesman Al Ballew said.
An officer called to the scene found Robertson in an argument with Sharon Raeford, 29. She had red marks around her neck and a bruise under her left eye, according to the report.